Fading Zanpakuto pt2
by Alissa Amori
Summary: Second part of Fading Zanpakuto, am stuck so maybe take a while need help


Toushiro Hitsugaya POV:

I stare in awe as a girl appeared beside me to save me from being fatally injured. The power she's wielding is overwhelming. I see that she notices that I'm in no condition to continue fighting before she orders me to take Momo to the fourth division for healing. Hyorinmaru is urging me to go as well.

As I leave, I hear the girl taunting Aizen with the knowledge Rukia Kuchiki is out of his reach. I wonder why Aizen's after the prisoner.

Captain Unohana and her Lieutenant are entering Central Forty-six as I leave the chambers. I hand Momo to them and start to head back to help the girl when Lieutenant Kotetsu pointed out that I am injured to her captain.

I try to explain that I need to go back and help the girl who saved my life when suddenly the reisatsu from earlier has faded. I bow my head in honour for the girl whose name I do not know.

I convince Captain Unohana to retrieve her body so it can be buried properly when suddenly there's a new presence similar to the reisatsu from the girl. It feels like a cross between Hyorinmaru's and hers.

As we enter the chambers of Central Forty-six, I notice to whole room is coated in ice and Aizen and Tosen are trapped, their faces' frozen in horror. I look around for the girl from earlier, only to see Hyorinmaru and a man in black standing over Ichimaru, who's cradling the girl from earlier.

I thought Ichimaru is traitor allied with Aizen, yet he is here, unfrozen and my Zanpakuto spirit is threating him in any way.

"Gin Ichimaru, Captain of the Third Division, for conspiring against the Soul Society, I, Retsu Unohana, Captain of the Fourth Division, place you under arrest," Captain Unohana informs him before requesting his Zanpakuto which he hands over peacefully. He then hands the unconscious girl to the man in the tattered black cloak, before offering his hands to Captain Unohana who binds them.

Ichimaru smiles fondly at the child and whispers, "Thank-you."

We walk in silence to the fourth division. Hyorinmaru and the man in the cloak, who had introduces himself as Zangetsu, study our surroundings carefully once we left Central Forty-six.

Now that we are in the sunlight, I can see her clearly. She like she's ten years old with light strawberry blond hair, which I swear was bright orange earlier. She's wearing a dark sea-blue dress with black tights with a belt around her middle which has a Kris hanging off it.

The Head-Captain meets us at the entrance of fourth division. He waves off Captain Soifon of Second Division when she goes to kill Ichimaru. He starts to speak when a teenager rushes past him.

She summons three little beings and starts to chant when Hyorinmaru freezes the three sprite-like creatures.

"Do not release her from her current state unless you wish to die," Zangetsu and Hyorinmaru growled together. They are very protective of this girl. Who is she?

The Head-Captain frowns when goes to talk again and is pushed aside again. This time by Kukaku Shiba who rushes to hug the child still in Hyorinmaru's arms.

Hyorinmaru hands her over to the distraught woman without fuss but still remains his protective stance. What's the connection between them and why allow two others hold the girl? These questions echo in my mind as I watch Kukaku Shiba sigh in relief before carrying the girl inside the division. Zangetsu goes with her while Hyorinmaru returns to my side.

"As I was saying before, Rukia Kuchiki is innocent of the crime of transferring her powers to Ichigo Kurosaki and is no longer wanted for execution. She is to be retrieved from the world of the living so she can regain her spiritual power before returning to her post." The Head-Captain ordered. Captain Ukitake nods but before he can leave to give the news to Rukia, a face I thought I'll never see again appears with Rukia Kuchiki, the rest of the group of invaders and two little girls.

"Isshin Shiba, Former Captain of the tenth division, why have you returned?" The Head-Captain questioned my former captain.

Isshin grins like there's nothing wrong with him returning to the Soul Society, "It's Kurosaki now, old man, and to say good-bye to my darling eldest daughter, Ichigo." Huh? I knew he had left to marry his Quincy girlfriend. I seriously hope his children are not like him or we are all doomed. Hyorinmaru snickers at my thoughts.

The group of teens gasped in horror at Isshin's words though the two girls and the Quincy seemed more resigned then shocked. They must've been waiting for her death but why have I got a feeling there's something we don't know about Ichigo Kurosaki.

Rukia Kuchiki seems to be in denial and the others shocked though that girl from before is ranting about how she can save her. Isshin just shakes his head at the girl.

"Orihime, you promised Ichigo that you wouldn't use your power on her," The black-haired girl reminded the orange-haired one who pouted before returning to her rant.

I sense Hyorinmaru tensing as that girl keeps ranting. _Is that child, who imprisoned Aizen, Kurosaki?_ I ask him mentally. He nods. "Have you considered maybe Ichigo Kurosaki has a reason for not wanting you to heal her?" I ask the ranting teen. "That if you could heal her, her family would not be resigned to her death."

She looks at Isshin then the two little girls before glancing at her other companions. "Is there really nothing we can do?" She asked quietly.

"She entered the soul society knowing she wouldn't be leaving again," the Quincy explained, "She had something important to protect and she couldn't allow Kuchiki to be executed for something she didn't do."

Rukia Kuchiki looked shocked at the news, "I did transfer my powers to her." She protested.

"It is impossible for a soul reaper to transfer their powers to a Zanpakuto spirit," Hyorinmaru spoke up, "She altered your memories when she realised that Aizen was starting to move openly. I can remove it if you wish."

Rukia's memory

Rukia Kuchiki nodded so Hyorinmaru release the true memory. I saw how Rukia Kuchiki's reiatsu dropped rapidly as she fought the hollow before she was injured. I see a teenage Ichigo with bright orange hair land in front of her and the Kurosaki Clinic. The hollow was too shocked to fight back before being purified.

"Less than one percent, Urahara going to fall straight for it," Ichigo muttered as she kneeled beside the barely conscious Kuchiki. She shudders for a second before she continues, "The Fade has started too. Not much time left." I hear as Kuchiki's memory goes black.

End

"What is the Fade?" Rukia asked shocked.  
Hyorinmaru sighed seeming to not wanting to explain but knowing he would have to. "The Fade is when a Zanpakuto is rejected by their wielder." He closed his eyes before continuing. "The spirit will after a time start to force their wielder to acknowledge to them but they lose their sanity until they disappear. Anyone the Sword spirit befriends is also in danger as they act like a hollow."

If that's true, then how long does Ichigo have left? I ask Hyorinmaru mentally if there was any we could do to help.  
Hyorinmaru shook his head, "No, only her wielder can save her but as long as she stays in the coma, she'll fade peacefully."

The Kurosaki's entered the fourth division as the rest head to Central Forty-Six to decide what to do with the three traitors though Ichimaru being unfrozen might be an indicated of something.

Aizen and Tosen are left as frozen statues but are surrounded by reiatsu drainers so that they couldn't gather any strength to escape. Gin Ichimaru is placed on probation as he was deflecting so he could kill Aizen. He spends most of the time with my Lieutenant or besides Ichigo.

Speaking of Ichigo, Hyorinmaru informed me that her actual name isn't Ichigo and that she is a defensive water-based Zanpakuto. I wonder why her wielder rejected her.


End file.
